


You Keep on Loving, Anyways

by RonRos47



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 12:52:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17386793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RonRos47/pseuds/RonRos47
Summary: A short take on what would have happened between Callie and Brandon during their time by the pool.





	You Keep on Loving, Anyways

**Author's Note:**

> I have always shipped Brallie since the pilot episode of the Fosters and though things didn't work out or they became 'brother & sister' (a concept I still don't buy despite legalities), they will always be my endgame.

“She thinks maybe I don’t want you to marry her,” Callie said to Brandon about his fiancé Eliza as the two of them sat by the pool.

“Maybe I don’t want to,” Brandon admitted, “I’m just suddenly questioning if she really is the one.

If she really is the one.

The reflection of the pool danced over them. The lighting from the outside lighting behind them only added to the soft glow.  
Brandon and Callie looked into each other’s eyes with both a sense of familiarity and longing. It dared them, it taunted them and in that moment, like a flame to a candle, they gave into it. Their hearts pounded as their lips met. It wasn’t just a simple goodbye forever type of kiss, it was the type that felt could last a whole lifetime. They kissed strongly, hands rummaging through hair, tongues dancing in the other. They felt the need to go deeper but just as quickly and as passionately as it had turned into, their lips parted.

That moment however was enough.

Eliza stood behind a pillar coming with the intent of talking to Brandon. Instead as she stood there she watched Brandon kiss his sister or his ex or whatever they were to each other. A brief kiss she might have been able to handle but she wasn’t able to handle something of this magnitude, what sane person, what sane person who was engaged, would? Eliza quietly and quickly walked away, tears streaming down her face.

Callie and Brandon continued to look at each other both surprised by what had just happened.

“We can’t seem to let go,” Callie said, breaking the silence, “Can we? Goodnight, Brandon,” she said as she got up from her seat not waiting for a word from him.

________________________

Later that night Callie and Brandon lay in their respective beds. Neither was able to fall asleep as their minds drifted to their kiss.   
Callie ran her hand over her lips, the taste of Brandon still lingering. She was grateful Mariana hadn’t returned to the room. She wasn’t ready to deal with her sister, not when all she could do was think about Brandon. Brandon. She knew what had done was wrong, knew that what she was thinking about was wrong but she couldn’t help herself. He had been the only one she had ever loved and even now that mattered. Callie mentally kicked herself. Of course it mattered. She had been kidding herself when she said she was over him. From the moment Brandon had announced he was engaged she had tried so hard to push her feelings for him aside, to be happy for him but it had been a hard thing to do especially when, during that moment back home and seeing him engaged to someone else, she had finally admitted to herself that she still loved him, she was still in love with him. She hadn’t fooled anyone.

Callie took a deep breath and got out of her bed.

In the room across the hall as Brandon lay in his own bed all he could think about was Callie. Though he knew the kiss had been wrong at the same time it hadn’t felt that way. He couldn’t get Callie out of his head and he didn’t want to. Deep down he knew the entire situation was wrong. Yes he had begun to question his relationship with Eliza while here on the island but all of it, from the time he proposed, it had all been under false pretenses. He had convinced himself so much of loving Eliza when in reality he figured it was the best way to let Callie go for good but he couldn’t let her go and he didn’t want to. He had wondered if Eliza was the one for him and she wasn’t. There was only Callie.

Having had enough of his thoughts he got out of his bed and made his way to the door. As he opened it Callie stood in front of him. They both knew they could still walk away but there really was no point, not now, not when they’d both realized by the pool how much the desire for each other overwhelmed them and it did.

Brandon took Callie by the hand, closing the door behind her. He led her to the king sized bed. They kissed slowly, deeply, Brandon unzipping Callie’s white dress, letting it fall to the floor. Callie meanwhile unbuttoned Brandon’s shirt, stripping it to the ground.  
Picking her up, Callie wrapped her legs around Brandon’s waist, both of them engulfed in one another as he lay her gently on the bed.  
Brandon stopped for only a moment as he gazed over Callie. Opening her eyes she saw him. Knowing what he knew, feeling what he felt. The two smiled at each other, lost in the other’s gaze, Brandon taking Callie’s hand placing gentle kisses on her fingers before his lips came to meet hers.

The night was more than a night, it had been more than a kiss. More than a tryst or two friends saying one final goodbye. No their night was a cumulation of time gone by and yet not at all because no time could transcend what they had, what they felt in their very bones. A love, a bond so deep that it went beyond the meaning of the term. A love so strong that no force could stop it.

And as Callie and Brandon let that force drive them the world stopped only for them.

Early the next morning well before the sun was up Callie and Brandon lay in each other’s arms. Brandon placed a kiss on top of Callie’s head and then looked at her.

“I love you, you know that?” he said to her.

Callie smiled as she looked at him. “I know, I love you too.”

“I never stopped Callie. Even when I tried I never stopped.”

“Neither did I. When I tried to move on I was only kidding myself. I always kept coming back to you.” She sighed. “What are we going to do, Brandon?” she asked, speaking about the gorilla in the room.

“I don’t know. I’ll figure something out. One thing though, no secrets. It didn’t exactly work hiding this the last time. I’ll figure out what to say to Eliza, how to break the news to her.”

“And we need to figure out what to tell mom’s.”

“We will.”

“No secrets,” Callie agreed.

___________________________

“Are you out of you mind,” Mariana asked an hour later when her sister walked into their room.

“I was just out for a walk,” Callie said.

“Really, in that dress? Are you sure you weren’t with Brandon?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Come on, you’re really going to act like nothing happened?”

“Nothing happened!”

“Tell that to your face. A kiss doesn’t just happen, Callie.”

Callie froze, “How did you…”

“Eliza told me.”

“She knows?”

“She saw the two of you by the pool last night in what she described as one hell of a lip lock.”

Callie took a seat across from Mariana and ran her hands over her face.

“You two didn’t just kiss did you? You slept with each other.” Callie looked up and her eyes said it all. “Oh my god, again! I thought was over between you two.”

“It was supposed to be.”

“Then what happened?”

“Same thing as you and Matt, you guys keep going back to each other even after you called things off.”

“This is not like me and Matt. You guys have been over for years, Matt and I have had an on-again-off-again relationship since high school.”

“It’s complicated then.”

“Uncomplicate it for me.”

“I don’t know how! Mariana, the way I feel about Brandon is unlike anything I’ve ever felt toward anyone. No one even comes close. I swear I didn’t intentionally try to screw up Brandon’s wedding, that was the last thing I wanted. You know I was going along with this whole thing fine and then last night happened and…” Callie shook her head, “Now I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love him, of course I do. I always have.”

“Just not as a brother hu?” Callie looked at her sister. “Guess I kind of figured. I think that just once mom’s adopted you, we all still knew. We just tried to convince ourselves you were over each other.”

“So did we.”

“You know mom’s are gonna be pissed right?” 

“I know.”

“And you know you’re totally ruined this vacation for us right. Too bad because I was really starting to love those mojitos.”  
Callie tossed a pillow at Mariana’s face.

“Look,” Mariana said, “I just want you to know whatever is going on with you and Brandon, I’ve got your back this time. For real.”

“Thanks.”

“I’m just glad I’m not Brandon right now, Eliza is going to lose it.”

Callie took a deep breath, “Yeah,” she said feeling like the worst person in the world and feeling bad for what Brandon would have to face.

___________________________________

Brandon made his way down to the beach where Eliza was sitting on a chair, her knees brought to her chest. He took a deep breath and rubbed his hands together then placed them to his sides as he walked over.

“I’ve been sitting here all night,” Eliza said to him. Brandon squatted and looked at her. “I saw you two down by the pool.” 

“I’m sorry.”

She turned to look at him, “For which part Brandon: saying you weren’t sure if you wanted to marry me or kissing her?”

“Both. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“Too late. You know when I found out you and Callie had history I felt threatened. I’ve never felt like that in my life. I never thought I’d have to and you know what, that person is just not me. I always thought if I found someone he would be the right guy and actually want me but you’re not are you?”

“No,” Brandon admitted.

“Well at least you’re honest about it. Just tell me something, Brandon, why her?”

Brandon remained silent. What could he tell her, that their history was so long that it went to the very day they’d met, the very day Lena had brought her into his home? No, he couldn’t do that to Eliza, wasn’t about to hurt her than she already was.

She shook her head, “It doesn’t matter,” She said as she took off her engagement ring and gave it to him. “Goodbye, Brandon.”

___________________________________

“You ready,” Brandon asked.

“No, are you?”

Brandon didn’t answer as they began to walk toward their moms.

“They’re holding hands,” Stef said to her wife, “why are they holding hands?”

“Guess we’re about to find out,” Lena replied.

“What’s going on,” Stef asked when Brandon and Callie made their way over and took seats in front of them.

“There’s something we have to tell you,” said Callie.

“Does it have something to do with you two being together?” Lena asked.

“Ugh,” said Stef, “You had to say it.”

“It does right?”

“We kissed last night,” Brandon admitted.

“You guys!” Stef complained.

“We didn’t mean for it to happen,” said Callie, “It just kind of did.”

“Things like this don’t just happen,” said Stef, “Not when it comes to the two of you.”

“Okay,” said Lena, “Okay it was just a kiss, we can salvage this.” Brandon and Callie looked at each other. “It was just a kiss wasn’t it?  
Brandon and Callie continued to look at each other, nervous to face their moms. The took a deep breath and then looked at them.  
“Oh god, you didn’t,” said Stef. “I mean you two…” Stef shook her hands, “You know what, I don’t want to know what you did or did not do which you obviously did do. Great, now I can’t get that image out of my head.”

“What is going on with you two,” asked Lena, “Why now?”

“Why at all?”

“I…” Brandon was about to begin.

“You’d better think real hard about those next words, Brandon,” Stef warned.

“I love Callie,” Brandon confessed. “And she loves me.”

Lena looked at her daughter, “Is this true?”

Callie nodded, “I love him.”

“Jesus you guys,” said Stef, “We thought this was supposed to be over between the two of you. We thought you had finally become…”

“Brother and sister,” said Brandon. “We have never been brother and sister and everyone in this family knows it.”

“We tried,” Callie chimed in, “We really tried but it never worked.”

“Well why not?”

“I never stopped having feelings for him.”

“And I never stopped having feelings for her,” said Brandon.

“I don’t believe this!” said Stef.

“Stef, just calm down,” Lena said to her wife.

“Calm down? How are you calm through all of this, Lena?”

Lena ignored the question. She instead took Stef’s hand and lowered her back to her seat.

“What about the wedding,” Lena asked, “What about Eliza?”

Brandon returned to his seat as well. “We talked it over and called it off.”

Callie shook her head, “It’s all my fault,” she said, putting the blame on herself.

Brandon looked at her. He ran a hand down her cheek. Now that their secret was out there was no point in hiding it. “It’s not,” he said to her, moving his down and taking hers. “I’ve wanted this just as much as you have.” He smiled some, “I’m just sorry the timing wasn’t better.”

Callie gave a small laugh, “Yeah, me too.”

Brandon turned and looked at their moms. “Look we know…I know I messed up. I rushed into things with Eliza and that was my mistake but the way I feel about Callie is not one of them.”

“They are adults now, Stef,” said Lena.

Stef sighed. She could see how they were not going to change their minds and Brandon had been right, they’d never been brother and sister not even when Callie’s adoption became official. They had been together all ready, two exes living under the same roof. There was no denying that as hard as they tried. Only now they’d been open about their relationship.

“What if it doesn’t work out,” Stef asked.

“It will,” said Callie.

“How can you be so sure?” asked Lena.

“Because of what happened last night and because of all the times before.” She turned to Brandon, “And,” she added, “because I’ve been loved by you, Brandon, and it is a powerful thing.”

Brandon smiled, bringing her hand up to kiss hers, having heard those words before.

“Okay you two, enough,” Stef said to them. “We’re starting to get it now. You love each other in a way neither of us can understand and it looks like, despite what we’ve tried, nothing is going to stop the two of you so we’re just going to have to adjust to this new dynamic."

“Wait,” Mariana said coming over, “So you’re letting them be together, as in together-together?”

“Mariana,” said Lena.

“How much of that did you hear?” asked Stef.

“Not much, I swear,” their daughter replied. “I was just passing through. So they’re together now right, like a couple?”

Stef sighed, “not that they need our permission anymore.”

“Yes!” Mariana exclaimed.

The moms turned to their daughter.

“You knew,” said Stef.

“Hey I just found out this morning.”

“And you’re okay with this,” Stef asked.

“Are you kidding, it beats them moping around. I was wondering there was ever a chance they’d get back together just to stop seeing them so miserable.”

“Why didn’t you say anything,” Brandon asked.

“I don’t know, figured it wasn’t my place.”

“Since when?” asked Callie.

“Since you told me about what happened at Idyllwild. I just thought you guys had finally moved on.”

“Wait,” said Lena, “Idyllwild? What happened there?”

“Something,” said Stef, “something like last night?”

“Whoops,” said Mariana.

“Well this just keeps getting better and better,” Stef said to them.

“Stef honey,” said Lena, “Take a deep breath.”

“I’m going to take a giant leap here, B, that song you composed out there it was…was it…”

“It was about Callie,” Brandon said.

“And ‘Outlaws’,” said Callie.

‘And ‘Love Will Light the Way’ and ‘Forever’.”

“Wait a sec,” said Mariana. “So you’re saying that song I sang last night was about the two of you?” The couple nodded, “Oh my god, not just the song. The whole play wasn’t about Romeo and Juliet it was about the two of you. I feel like such an idiot.”

“It’s fine, Mariana,” said Brandon.

“No it’s not. Had I known I would have sung something else.”

“Mariana, it’s fine. There will be other songs.”

“Well,” said Stef, “This is about as much as I can handle.”

“Stef,” said Lena.

She took a deep breath, “Okay here’s the deal. Momma’s right, you two are adults. As much as we’ve tried so hard to ignore it we can’t anymore. So if this is what you want then you keep your private lives private. That means no…” Stef said not even bothering to get out the word, “in the house got it? PDA is fine just as long as you keep it to a minimum.”

“That’s fair,” said Brandon.

“Got it,” Callie said too.

“Oh god, I can’t believe I’m even agreeing to this,” she said as she stood up.

“Where are you going,” Lena asked.

“Well someone has to help clean up this mess,” she said as she left.

“I hope you two know what you’re doing,” Lena said before following her wife.

Brandon looked into Callie’s eyes, “We do,” he replied.

_____________________________________

It wasn’t long before Callie and Brandon found themselves holding hands as they walked along the beach.

“This is perfect isn’t it?” Brandon asked.

“Yeah it is,” Callie replied.

“You know the best part?”

“What’s that?”

“We no longer have to sneak around.”

The two stopped walking and looked at each other. “I know I still have a huge mess to clean up and I will but now you’re all that matters.” He moved a strand of hair behind Callie’s ear. “I love you, Callie. Always have, always will.”

“I love you too, Brandon."

In that moment as their lips met they felt free. Last night’s kiss by the pool had been great but their kiss now was better, special because there were no more secrets. They knew how strong their love was and no matter what the future held, where it took them, they would conquer it together because they knew they were truly meant to be and with that they could do anything.


End file.
